WASHINGTON | Survey: US companies add a robust 227,000 jobs in October

WASHINGTON— U.S. companies added 227,000 jobs in October, according to a private survey, a healthy gain that suggests companies are still finding workers to hire even as the unemployment rate has fallen to a 49-year low.

Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that employers added jobs in manufacturing, retail, and professional services such as engineering. October’s hiring was the strongest in eight months.

The figures suggest to a solid increase in Friday’s jobs report from the government. Economists believe that report will show employers added 190,000 jobs. ADP’s report doesn’t include government employment and frequently diverges from the official figures, however.